Comments

Charlie, is there a central place or organisation that represents vaping in this country? As a vaper (and a retailer) myself I certainly want the truth to be heard - but there isn't much point in banging your head against the wall, as it were.

"“There is a trick here. Some ecigarettes have nicotine, which means they are just as bad as cigarettes – other don’t have nicotine,” he said."

Why does Tobacco Control and the WHO want to produce zero nicotine cigarettes? Could it be "a trick" as Health Minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi suggest. Zero nicotine cigarettes "are just as bad" as the ones with nicotine.SA needs a new minister of health.

Charlie, is there a central place or organisation that represents vaping in this country? As a vaper (and a retailer) myself I certainly want the truth to be heard - but there isn't much point in banging your head against the wall, as it were.

There is no evidence that nicotine causes any substantial risk for cancer, and the research shows that the risk for cardiovascular disease is minimal. The confusion about nicotine comes from anti-smoking activists talking about nicotine and smoking as if they were the same.

Nicotine is the heart of cigarettes. If there's no nicotine in ecigarettes then what's the point of vaping them? And if there is nicotine then where's the difference between cigarettes and ecigarettes? If Smoking is not allowed, then surely Vaping also shouldn't be allowed.

Honestly if this South African minister believes the statement "Some ecigarettes have nicotine, which means they are just as bad as cigarettes", then he is not qualified to be a health minister. How can he be so unbelievably ignorant as to think that the harm from smoking tobacco is caused by nicotine?

@Martinguptil said:
Nicotine is the heart of cigarettes. If there's no nicotine in ecigarettes then what's the point of vaping them? And if there is nicotine then where's the difference between cigarettes and ecigarettes? If Smoking is not allowed, then surely Vaping also shouldn't be allowed.

If you can't tell the difference between the aerosol produced by heating the liquid and the combustion products of burning tobacco, then I'd suggest a course in basic high school chemistry.

@Martinguptil said:
Nicotine is the heart of cigarettes. If there's no nicotine in ecigarettes then what's the point of vaping them? And if there is nicotine then where's the difference between cigarettes and ecigarettes? If Smoking is not allowed, then surely Vaping also shouldn't be allowed.

I'm partial to the occasional nicotine-free vape. As an ex-smoker it's really handy to have something similar which tastes nice whenever I feel that I might relapse. Nicotine is only at the heart of cigarettes if you smoke because you're addicted or want a mild buzz - personally I fell in to it because it was something enjoyable to do with my hands.